diff --git a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/tunnel/pool/BuildRequestor.java b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/tunnel/pool/BuildRequestor.java
index ffd75506588d53a27e7c1c31e1b686a432572207..06bbaf49055139bb857ed081ece1f36a66060ee4 100644
--- a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/tunnel/pool/BuildRequestor.java
+++ b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/tunnel/pool/BuildRequestor.java
@@ -138,6 +138,9 @@ abstract class BuildRequestor {
             if (log.shouldLog(Log.ERROR))
                 log.error("Tunnel build failed, as we couldn't find a paired tunnel for " + cfg);
             exec.buildComplete(cfg, pool);
+            // Not even a zero-hop exploratory tunnel? We are in big trouble.
+            // Let's not spin through here too fast.
+            try { Thread.sleep(250); } catch (InterruptedException ie) {}
             return;
         }